liralen: Finch Painting (bullseye)
[personal profile] liralen
The other day, on the way home from something, we asked Jet, "What do you want for lunch?"

He answered, "A particle accelerator."

We both were like WOW! Huh... you want a grilled cheese sandwich with that?



His school is a science focus school, so he has extra science very Tuesday afternoon and Lego classes every Thursday afternoon, extra work and time at school; but he really loves it. They also had a book fair that included some books at his reading level plus a little that's all on physics and the periodic table. He's been reading them and finds that his favorite character is "inertia".

Probably because in Mythbusters there was an episode that included the plausibility of the Knightride scenerio of driving KITT onto a moving truck while driving at speed. The Mythbusters figured out that the car's inertia kept it from accelerating madly when it hit the ramp... it simply tends to go the speed it was going, even if the truck is doing all the work. But Jet really remembered that Inertia was KEY.

We also had the most interesting discussion of Schrödinger's Cat I've ever had with an eight-year-old. All right, that I've ever had with anyone outside of Caltech. *laughs* Chem 1 started with Schrödinger's Equation.

Date: 2009-10-09 12:31 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] 2metaldog.livejournal.com
Isn't it awesome when kids ask you startling questions or begin discussions that have you stumbling (in a good way). My Boy asked me to explain dark matter when he was about 8. It evolved into the plausibility of creating a black hole and then into the possibility of making a working transporter (a la Star Trek).

Date: 2009-10-09 01:13 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] liralen.livejournal.com
YES! *Exactly that*!!

Jet's book has dark matter in it, too. Hee. It's going to be a lot of fun...

Date: 2009-10-09 12:48 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] chrisber.livejournal.com
Lego classes !!!!1!!!1!!

(Also, Jet is so cool!)

Date: 2009-10-09 01:14 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] liralen.livejournal.com
It's actually an introduction to Engineering Practices, but all the kids call it The Lego Class, because, well, it is.

I wish *I* had Lego Classes when *I* was in elementary school.

*beams* Thank you!!

Here Comes Science

Date: 2009-10-09 09:58 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] amberley.livejournal.com
Can you make a particle accelerator with LEGO? Someone made a Turing Machine, so I wouldn't want to rule out the possibility.

Has Jet seen/heard They Might Be Giants' recent DVD/CD "Here Comes Science"?

I give it bonus points for having an explanation of stars, followed immediately by another song pointing out the first one was wrong, here's a better explanation of stars. And a song on testing theories.

And here's a great Dresden Codak on The Problem with Schrodinger's Cat

Re: Here Comes Science

Date: 2009-10-09 08:04 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] liralen.livejournal.com
Oooooo... I don't think he has!

I'll have to look at that second link... I haven't seen a particle accelerator from Lego, yet...

Date: 2009-10-09 03:25 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] morgainelefae.livejournal.com
Your son is going to take over the world one day and I can't wait for it to happen. :)

This post is, like, my favorite thing ever.

Date: 2009-10-09 08:04 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] liralen.livejournal.com
*grins* *hugs*

It'd be cool if he did...

Date: 2009-10-09 08:28 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] morgainelefae.livejournal.com
*NODNODNOD* *laughing*

Date: 2009-10-09 04:13 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] aruarian-dancer.livejournal.com
MIT bound for sure. XD

Date: 2009-10-09 08:05 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] liralen.livejournal.com
*giggles far too much*

And here both the hubby and I went to Caltech... *giggles* MIT!?!

*laughs* It'd be cool if he wants to...

Date: 2009-10-10 12:46 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] izzylobo.livejournal.com
Have we mentioned recently that your son is awesome?

Because, you know, he is. :-D

Date: 2009-10-10 05:47 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] liralen.livejournal.com
XD

Thank you. *blush*

Date: 2009-10-10 07:04 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ginnyvos.livejournal.com
Oh god, I'd have absolutely loved to go to Jet's school...

Also, your son is awesome. Seriously.

Date: 2009-10-10 08:22 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] liralen.livejournal.com
I think I would have, too.

I am pretty biased about him. *laughs*

Date: 2009-10-11 07:47 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] annieroo2.livejournal.com
*laughs* Jet is the bomb!!

Sounds like a really excellent school. Makes me wish we had somethign like that for Cosmo.

Date: 2009-10-11 07:40 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] liralen.livejournal.com
It's brand new, so they can do things established schools often have a hard time doing. So, it's been fun to see what they do!

*giggles* Jet it fun...

Date: 2009-10-15 07:44 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] rmd.livejournal.com
just so you know, i just read the article about the poor kid in colorado who floated off in a helium balloon. and my VERY FIRST THOUGHT hearing that this had happened in colorado to a young boy was "oh god, i hope it's not jet"

Date: 2009-10-15 08:32 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] liralen.livejournal.com
*falls over giggling*

That makes just soooo much sense.

Though I'll admit we no longer have experimental Aircraft in the neighborhood, though six years ago, that would have actually been a factor.

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